Types of Daylilies
Daylilies can be categorized in a number of different ways.
When looking at the various types of categories of daylilies, you may come across listings or categorizations by:
- the type of flower;
- growth habit;
- the season of bloom;
- the number of chromosomes a daylily has.
Growth Habit of Daylilies
Dormant
Dormant daylilies die back completely each season. They stop growing and are dormant during the winter. Dormant daylilies are often considered to be the hardiest of the three types of daylilies.
Evergreen
Evergreen Daylilies retain their leaves throughout the year. In cold climates, the leaves die almost completely, but the crown survives. In mild climates, evergreen daylilies continue to produce new leaves throughout the winter. These are often better adapted to warmer climates.
Semi-Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen daylilies are between evergreen and dormant. Semi-evergreen daylilies will often retain their leaves throughout the winter in the south, but may die back completely in colder climates.
Daylily Chromosomes
Diploids
Diploid daylilies contain 22 chromosomes ( two sets of 11 chromosomes).
Tetraploids
Tetraploid daylilies have 44 chromosomes (four sets of 11 chromosomes).
Note: Diploid and Tetraploid daylilies cannot be successfully crossed. It is therefore important to reference the Daylily Registry @ http://www.daylilydatabase.org/ for a particular daylily cultivar type before attempting to cross two daylilies.